BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—According to a report in The Brussels Times, routine archaeological investigations at a construction site in Brussels’ city center have uncovered the remains of a settlement along the river Senne that may be 1,400 years old. A parking garage on the site was demolished to make way for a new administrative center, but the building project has halted to allow for ongoing excavations. Archaeologists initially discovered a stone quay dating to the tenth century A.D. and even older wooden structures. More recent finds, however, indicate that people might have occupied the area well before the Middle Ages. Artifacts and tools related to craft production, such as wooden combs and leather shoes, could date to the seventh century. Continued excavations at the site will include microscopic examination of soils. To read more about medieval settlements along European waterways, go to “Letter from Rotterdam: The City and the Sea.”
